Home » Special Features » The World’s Best » Best Annual Charity Events New Orleans
Start with one part fundraiser. Add a celeb-packed guest list. Throw in some live music from Stevie Wonder, food from Thomas Keller and Charlie Palmer, or a silent auction with Louis Vuitton goodies or tennis lesson from Andre Agassi. Season to taste with black ties and cocktails. You’ve just whipped up one of Night+Day’s Best Annual Charity Events, some of the hottest parties on the social calendar.
The Draw: Hobnob with some of the country’s best chefs and wine producers at Emeril Lagasse’s charity event. The Scene: For most fans of his “bamness,” a meal cooked by Emeril Lagasse would be an unforgettable evening. At Carnivale du Vin, Lagasse enlists his friends, such as Mario Batali, Thomas Keller, and Charlie Palmer, to each a cook a course of a once-in-a-lifetime meal. The event also features a silent auction of rare wines and a rocking show to end the night. One year, Emeril’s pal Sammy Hagar provided the entertainment. Since 2005, Carnivale du Vin has raised over $7.5 million for the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, which supports educational and culinary programs in cities where Lagasse operates restaurants. Hot Tip: If you can’t afford Lagasse’s gala, you can still support his causes by grabbing lunch at Café Reconcile, a major beneficiary of the foundation. The excellent neighborhood restaurant teaches jobs skills to inner-city youth.
The Draw: Spend a night with wild animals and the city’s chicest social set at the Audubon Nature Institute’s Whitney Zoo to Do. The Scene: The lions and tigers and bears are on their best behavior. The oak trees are strung with lights. And at the entrance of the Audubon Zoo, where normally kids pile out of minivans, stretch limos drop off elegant couples in evening wear. The annual fundraiser, which brings in on average $1 million for the zoo and aquarium, always makes the calendars of the city’s elite. Drinks are plentiful, more than 80 of New Orleans’ top restaurants serve food, and the entertainment is provided by classic acts such as Sister Sledge, the Temptations, and the Village People. Hot Tip: Men must wear either black tie or white linen. If you’re visiting from a colder clime and don’t own a seersucker suit, shop Perlis menswear for this New Orleans essential.
Zurich Classic TPC Louisiana, 11001 Lapalco Blvd., Avondale, late April, 504-342-3000 zurichgolfclassic.com
The Draw: The Zurich Classic combines a PGA golf tournament with what New Orleans does best: food, drinks, and music. The Scene: You’d think the intently focused players of the PGA would avoid a town where the locals carry on so loudly. But the Zurich Classic, which began in 1938, manages to accommodate everyone with hushed spectator zones and, out of earshot, parties with drinks and live music. Each year, more than 150,000 attend the event at the Tournament Players Club in Avondale just outside New Orleans. In 2009 the Classic raised over $1 million for the Fore!Kids Foundation, which supports area children’s charities. Hot Tip: Purchase upgraded passes to special venues that serve food from the city’s top restaurants.
